MANCHESTER, N.H. – Michael Holton, Jr. totaled 19 points to lead Saint Michael's College as it held off Southern New Hampshire University by a 59-57 score in Northeast-10 men's basketball Wednesday night at the SNHU Fieldhouse.  The Purple Knights are now 1-1 and 1-0 in the league, while the Penmen are 2-1 overall and 0-1 in NE-10 action.

Holton also grabbed six rebounds and led three Saint Michael's players in double figures.  Tyler Schilling went 6-8 at the free throw line and totaled 12 points and eight boards, while Dom Ditlefsen added 10 points off the bench.

Elijah Bonsignore (Felton, Del.) paced Southern New Hampshire with 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots, while Aleksandar Dobrovic (Podgorica, Montenegro) and Tory Stapleton (Rahway, N.J.) each added 10 points and nine rebounds.  Greg DeSantis (Trumbill, Conn.) and Josh Morgan-Green (Upper Marlboro, Md.) each tossed in nine points.

Southern New Hampshire trailed 33-27 at halftime and by as many as seven in the second half, but tied the game for the first time since the opening tip with 2:48 left when Bonsignore drove in for a layup.  Saint Michael's regained the lead on its next possession as Ditlefsen completed a conventional three-point play on a putback. 

The Penmen pulled within one for the second time down the stretch when DeSantis knocked down a runner with 11.1 seconds to play.  SNHU fouled Holton, who made the first but missed his second free throw after SNHU head coach Stan Spirou used his final timeout to ice him.  Stapleton grabbed the rebound, with DeSantis racing down.  He drove to the baseline, but his 12-footer from the right of the basket fell short as time expired.

Saint Michael's scored the game's first 10 points and jumped out to a 15-2 lead seven minutes into the game.  Southern New Hampshire used a 6-0 spurt to pull within three, 17-14, with 6:09 to go in the first half on a Stapleton basket.  The guests would take a 33-27 lead into the break.

Southern New Hampshire outrebounded Saint Michael's 40-36, including a 15-8 advantage on the offensive glass, but the Penmen shot just 35.5% from the floor and 6-28 behind the arc.  Saint Michael's was just 5-20 from long range but shot 46.4% in the first half and 40.4% for the game. 

SNHU returns to action on Tuesday, November 22 when it hosts Saint Anselm College for a 7:30 Northeast-10 contest.